Debris collector suction pipe



B. DANEMAN DEBRIS COLLECTOR SUCTION PIPE May 20, 1969 Filed Dec. 6, 1967 Sheet i N V E N TO R BEN DANEMAN BY DONALD E. PORTER AT TORNEY y 1969 a. DANEMAN 3,444,581

nnams coumc'roiz suc'rIoN PIPfi 7 Filed Dec. 6, 1967 Sheet 2 of 3 4 l NV E NTO R BEN DANEMAN DONALD E PORTER ATTORNEY May 20, 1969 a. DANEMAN 3,444,531

DEBRIS COLLECTOR SUCTION PIPE Filed Dec. 6, 1967 Sheet 3 or s INVENTOR BEN DANEMAN BY DONALD E. PORTER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,444,581 DEBRIS COLLECTOR SUCTION PIPE Ben Daneman, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to 'Central Engineering Company, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 688,499 Int. Cl. A47l 5/38, 9/02; E01h 1/08 US. Cl. -314 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A suction pipe for attachment to the flexible nozzle of a vacuum-type debris collector and for vacuuming debris from a catch basin or the like, including an angulation section having a substantially airtight joint whereby the pipe may be angled so that the suction end thereof can reach the walls of the catch basin; a rotation section whereby the angled pipe may be rotated so that the suction end may be directed to all portions of the outer edges of the catch basin to vacuum debris therefrom; and an extension section whereby the length of the pipe may be extended so that the suction end may reach the bottom of the catch basin.

The use of vacuum-type debris collectors to remove trash, litter and debris from roads, streets and catch basins is known in the art. One type of collector is shown in Patent No. 3,052,908 issued Sept. 11, 1962, to the inventor and includes an enclosed vacuum tank mounted on a truck chassis. A flexible nozzle may be selectively connected to openings in the sides and the rear of the tank and a high vacuum drawn and maintained in the tank by a high pressure vacuum-inducing blower. Suction thereby is provided at the lower or suction end of the flexible nozzle, which may be used to vacuum-clean a street or road by moving the lower end of the nozzle back and forth over the debris to be collected. If it is desired to remove debris from a catch basin, a large rigid pipe is attached to the lower end of the nozzle and inserted in the catch basin by an operator standing alongside the nozzle. The air and debris which is sucked from the catch basin into the suction end of the pipe passes through the pipe and the nozzle into the vacuum tank.

Ordinarily, the diameter of the street level opening of the catch basin through which the pipe must be inserted is substantially smaller than the diameter of the bottom of the catch basin. As a consequence, it is virtually impossible for the operator to direct the suction end of the rigid pipe to the outer edges of the bottom of the catch basin to vacuum debris therefrom, with the result that the catch basin may not be completely cleaned. Also, because the depths of catch basins may vary substantially, the length of the conventional rigid pipe attachment may not be sufficient to enable the operator to direct the suction end of the pipe completely to the bottom of the catch basin.

The present invention provides an improved debris collector suction pipe, including an angulation section which includes a substantially air tight joint and has a suction end. A rotation section is provided for mounting between the nozzle and the angulation section; and an extension section may be mounted between the rotation section and the angulation section and is adjustably extendable to various extended lengths.

When the improved suction pipe is to be used to clean a catch basin, the operator may insert the suction end of the suction pipe through the catch basin opening and into the catch basin; angle the angulation section at the joint thereof so that the suction end reaches the walls of the catch basin; and rotate the rotation section (and, there- 3,444,581 Patented May 20, 1969 fore, the angulation section and the suction end) around the center line of the rotation section, and thereby direct the suction end to all portions of the outside walls of the catch basin to vacuum debris therefrom. If necessary because of the depth of the catch basin, the extension section may be adjustably extended to lower the suction end to a preselected fixed position adjacent the bottom of the catch basin. The operator then may rotate the suction pipe to direct the suction end to all portions of the bottom of the catch basin to thoroughly clean the same.

The suction pipe also may be employed to extend the debris-collecting range of the nozzle to vacuum streetlevel piles of debris, such as leaves, and to eliminate the rather substantial manual effort involved in moving the lower end of the nozzle back and forth over such debris. The operator may position the nozzle and suction pipe above the center of the debris pile, angle the angulation section so as to position the suction end of the pipe above the edges of the pile, and rotate the rotation section so as to cause the suction end to revolve above the pile while vacuuming the same.

The best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a debris collector suction pipe embodying the present invention inserted in a catch basin, with the angulation section angled and the extension section extended.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the angulation section shown in FIGURE 1 in its generally tubular configuration.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the angulation section shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the angled angulation section shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the angulation section shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the rotation section shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating the attachment of the rotation section to the nozzle, and with the swivel collar and control handle opened to illustrate their respective relationships with the rotation section.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the extension section shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a debris collector suction pipe embodying the present invention, as employed to vacuum a street-level pile of debris, including the rotation section shown in FIGURE 6.

The debris collector suction pipe 1 is attached to the flexible nozzle 2 of a vacuum-type debris collector 3. The collector 3 is mounted on a self-propelled truck or like vehicle 4 and includes a fully enclosed and self-contained vacuum tank 5, which may be of any suitable type. As illustrated herein, the tank 5 is of the type described in Patent No. 3,052,908 issued Sept. 11, 1962, to the in ventor; and the nozzle 2, the connection thereof to the tank 5, and the means of drawing and maintaining a high vacuum in the tank 5 are as described in such patent. Thus, when a vacuum is drawn from the tank 5 by such means, suction is provided at the lower or suction end 6 of the nozzle 2 in the known manner.

Debris collector suction pipe The debris collector suction pipe 1 is comprised, generally, of tubular sections, including a first or rotation section 7 adapted to be attached to the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2, and a second or angulation section 8, which may be attached to the rotation section 7.

Although it would be possible to attach the angulation section 8 directly to the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2,

the construction and composition of the nozzle 2 would not permit any substantial degree of rotation of the angulation section 8. Accordingly, it is preferred to provide rotation means for rotatably attaching the angulation section 8 to the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2, whereby the angulation section 8 may be rotated through a complete 360 degrees of rotation about the center line thereof. As shown, the rotation means comprise a rotation section 7 which includes an upper or attachment portion 9. In order to attach the suction pipe 1 to the nozzle 2, the upper end of the attachment portion 9 is inserted in the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2, which is secured therearound by means of a split-ring and bolt assembly 10. The other or lower end of the attachment portion 9 defines an outwardly extending flange 11, which slidably abuts a corresponding outwardly extending flange 12 on the upper end of the lower or rotatable portion 13 of the rotation section 7. The two flanges 11 and 12 are held in such slidably abutting relationship by a swivel collar 14, of generally U-shaped cross-section, which loosely surrounds the flanges 11 and 12. The swivel collar 14 is comprised of two generally semi-circular sections 15 and 16. One section 15 is hingedly connected at one end thereof to a corresponding end of the other section 16 by a hinge 17 between such ends; and the other ends of the two sections 15 and 16 are bolted to each other by a bolt 18 and a nut 19 threaded thereon. When the nut 19 is threaded home on the bolt 18, the two sections 15 and 16 are drawn toward each other and into loose surrounding relationship with the flanges 11 and 12, thereby holding flanges 11 and 12 in slidably abutting relationship and permitting the rotatable portion 13 of the rotation section 7 to be rotated about its center line without inducing any corresponding rotation of the attachment portion 9 thereof or the nozzle 2.

To enable the operator to easily direct and rotate the suction pipe 1, a control handle 20 is provided for removable mounting around the rotatable portion 13 of the rotation section 7. The handle 20 comprises two virtually identical sections 21 and 22, having semi-circular bases 23 and 24. One base 23 is hingedly connected at one end thereof to a corresponding end of the other base 24 by a hinge 25; and the other ends of the two bases 23 and 24 are connected by a cam latch 26. When the rotatable portion 13 of the rotation section 7 is inserted in the space between the two bases 23 and 24 and the cam latch 26 is moved to its closed position, the two bases 23 and 24 are drawn toward each other and into tight surrounding relationship with the exterior surface of the rotatable portion 13. Identical handle bar assemblies 27 and 28 are welded to and extend outwardly from, respectively, the two bases 23 and 24. A convenient control handle 20 thereby is provided for gripping by the operator of the suction pipe 1 when rotating the suction pipe 1 and when directing the suction pipe 1 into a catch basin 29.

The other or lower end of the rotatable portion 13 of the rotation section 7 defines an outwardly extending flange 30 having spaced holes 31 therein. The angulation section 8 is comprised of two tubular portions: an upper or fixed portion 32, and a lower or jointed portion 33. The upper end of the fixed portion 32 defines an outwardly extending flange 34 having upwardly extending, spaced, pierced pins 35 mounted thereon and adapted for insertion through the holes 31 of the flange 30 of the rotation section 7, if it is desired to attach the angulation section 8 directly to the rotation section 7. When so inserted, cotter pins 36 may be inserted through the pins 35 and the flanges 30 and 34 thereby held in close abutting relationship to each other.

A substantially airtight joint, which is capable of being angled, is provided in the angulation section 8 between the upper or fixed portion 32 and the lower or jointed portion 33 for angling the angulation section 8. The joint includes angling means which, as illustrated in the drawings, comprise a pivot or hinge 37 at one side of the exterior surface of the angulation section 8 pivotally connecting the jointed portion 33 to the fixed portion 32, and a cam latch 38 at the other side thereof and connected to the jointed portion 33 and the fixed portion 32 for angling the angulation section 8 about the pivot or hinge 37 in the vertical plane which is perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the hinge 37 and which extends through the center lines of the fixed portion 32 and the jointed portion 33. The angling means are mounted on the angulation section 8 disposed in close proximity to the exterior surface of the angulation section 8 in both its tubular and angled configurations, so that neither the hinge 37 nor the cam latch 38 (notwithstanding that the cam latch 38 may have been opened, as shown in FIGURE 1, to angle the angulation section 8) is likely to interfere with the insertion of the fixed portion 32 through the relatively narrow street level opening of the catch basin 29. The joint also includes seal means for effecting a substantially airtight seal between the fixed portion 32 and the jointed portion 33 when the angulation section 8 is angled. Although it is contemplated that other seal means (such as flexible tubing) are within the scope of this invention, in the illustrated preferred embodiment a joint filler 39 is mounted on the upper end of the jointed portion 33. As is shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the joint filler 39 is in the shape of a frustum of a cone, the lower base diameter of which is equal to the inside diameter of the fixed portion 32. When the cam latch 38 is in its closed position and the angulation section 8 is in its tubular configuration, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the wall 40 of the joint filler 39 is fully enclosed within the interior of the fixed portion 32, with the wall port-ion 40a adjacent the hinge 37 abut-ting the interior surface of the fixed portion 32. When the cam latch 38 is opened to its open position as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, and the angulation section 8 thereby angled about the hinge 37 to its angled configuration shown in such figures, the joint filler 39 is partially withdrawn from the interior of the fixed portion 32 until the portion 40b of the wall 40 thereof adjacent the cam latch 38 abuts the interior surface of the fixed portion 32, forming a substantially airtight seal therebetween. Because the suction end 41 is generally below the hinge 37, during rotation of the suction pipe 1 the operator may refer to the positions of either the hinge 37 or the cam latch 38 relative to the circumference of the street level opening of the catch basin 29 as guide means to quickly and accurately ascertain the position of the unseen suction end 41 relative to the circumference of the bottom of the catch basin 29 in order to ensure complete cleaning thereof.

'It has been found that, in order that the lower or suction end 41 of the angulation section 8 may reach the outer edges of the bottoms of most catch basins, the angulation section 8 should be susceptible of angling through an angulation angle of not less than eight degrees. Accordingly, in the angled configuration shown in the FIGURES 1 and 4, the included angulation angle between the lower end of the fixed portion 32 and lower base of the joint filler 39 is eight degrees. Efiicient vacuuming of debris requires that the wall portions 40a and 40b of the joint filler 39 intrude to the least extent possible into the interior of the fixed portion 32 and into the flow of air and debris therethrough when the suction pipe 1 is used for catch basin cleaning, in either its angled or nonangled configurat-ions. Efiicient vacuuming also requires that there be substantially airtight communication between the wall 40 of the joint filler 39 and the interior surface of the fixed portion 32, when the angulation section 8 is angled. To accomplish the foregoing, the joint filler 39, as shown, has a lower base diameter equal to the inside diameter of the fixed portion 32; the cone, of which the joint filler 39 is a frustum, has an altitude equal to the result of multiplying that lower base diameter by the natural cotangent of the angulation angle (as shown, eight degrees); the angle between the wall portion 40b and the lower base is the complement of the angulation angle (or, as shown, eighty-two degrees); the angle between the wall portion 40a and the upper base is an obtuse angle which is the supplement of such complementary angle (or, as shown, ninety-eight degrees); the angles between the lower base and the wall portion 40a, and between the upper base and the wall portion 40b, each are right angles; and the height of the wall portion 40a is in excess of onehalf of an inch so that, when the angulation section 8 is angled, approximately one-half inch of the wall portion 40a Will intrude into the interior of the fixed portion 32. In :the catch basin cleaning embodiment shown in FIGURES 1-5, the slant height of wall portion 40a is 1.85 inches because the pivot point of hinge 37 is distant from the exterior surface of the angulation section 8.

The slant height of wall portion 40b depends on the diameter of the lower base of the joint filler 39, which, in turn, is equal to the interior diameter of the fixed portion 32. The slant height of wall portion 40b is determined by dividing the slant height of wall portion 40a by the natural tangent of the angulation angle, adding the lower base diameter (in inches) to the result of such division, and multiplying that sum by the natural sine of the angulation angle. Thus, if the angulation angle is eight degrees, as illustrated, the lower base diameter of the joint filler 39 is twelve inches and the slant height of the wall portion 40a is 1.85 inches, the slant height of the wall portion 40b will be 3.5 inches.

The lower or suction end 41 of the angulation section 8 may be merely circular (as shown in FIGURE 8) and, therefore, comparable to the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2. However, it is preferred that the lower edge of the suction end 41 be serrated, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 4 and 5, when the suction pipe 1 is used for cleaning catch basins in order that the catch basin debris (which usually is in a water-sodden condition) may be sucked into the suction pipe 1 at the sides, as well as the bottom of the suction end 41, and to avoid the creation of an absolute vacuum in the suction pipe 1 when the suction end 41 is immersed in the debris.

An extension section 42 may be employed to enable the suction end 41 of the angulation section 8 to reach the bottom of a catch basin 29 having a depth greater than the overall length of the angulation section 8. Although the extension section 42 could be inserted in the suction pipe 1 between the nozzle 2 and the rotation section 7, it is preferred that the extension section 42 be inserted between the rotation section 7 and the angulation section 8 in order that the rotation section 7 (and, particularly, its control handle 20) may remain above street level notwithstanding the length of extension of the extension section 42. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGURES 1 and 7, the extension section 42 is comprised of an inner or stationary tube 43 and an outer or extendable tube 44. The upper end of the stationary tube 43 defines an outwardly extending flange 45 virtually identical in design and construction to the flange 34 of the fixed portion 32 of the angulation section 8 in that it has upwardly extending, spaced, pierced pins 46 mounted thereon adapted for insertion through the holes 31 of the flange 30 of the rotation section 7, so that, when so inserted, the cotter pins 36 may be inserted through the pins 46 and the flanges 30 and 45 thereby may be held in close abutting relationship to each other and the extension section 42 thereby attached to the rotation section 7. The lower end of the extendable tube 44 defines an outwardly extending flange 47 virtually identical in design and construction to outwardly extending flange 30 of the rotation section 7 in that it has spaced holes 48 therein adapted for receiving the insertion of the pins 35 of the flange 34 of the angulation section 8. When so inserted, cotter pins 36 may be inserted through the pins 35 and the flanges 47 and 34 thereby held in close abutting relationship to each other, and the angulation section 8 thereby attached to the extension section 42.

A slide bar 49 is welded to the exterior surface of the stationary tube 43 and extends the length of the stationary tube 43 from the flange 45 to a point adjacent the lower end of the stationary tube 43. The slide bar 49 includes a plurality of spaced adjustment holes 50 therethrough. The extendable tube 44 of the extension section 42 has an inside diameter slightly greater than the sum of the outside diameter of the stationary tube 43 plus twice the height of the slide bar 49 measured from the exterior surface of the stationary tube 43 to the exterior surface of the slide bar 49. The upper end of the extendable tube 44 defines an inwardly extending flange 51 which slidably abuts the exterior surface of the stationary tube 43. A pair of parallel, upstanding slide guides 52 are welded on the flange 51. The inner surfaces of the slide guides 52 are distant from each other a distance slightly greater than the width of the slide bar 49, and the portion of flange 51 between the slide guides 52 is cut away so that the slide guides 52 slidably abut opposite sides of the slide bar 49 and the slide bar 49 may freely slide between the slide guides 52, but the slide bar 49 and the slide guide 52 combine to act as locking means to prevent the rotation of either of the tubes 43 and 44 relative to the other. The operator, during rotation of the extension section 42 and the angulation section 8, may refer to the position of the slide bar 49 relative to the circumference of the street level opening of the catch basin 29 as guide means (the hinge 37 and the cam latch 38 being within the interior of the catch basin 29) to readily ascertain the position of the unseen suction end 41 relative to the circumference of the bottom of the catch basin 29. The slide guides 52 include diametrically opposed holes 53; and a pin 54 may be inserted to pass through the holes 53 and a preselected adjustment hole 50 of the slide bar 49 to hold the extendable tube 44 in a preselected, fixed extended relationship with the stationary tube 43, and whereby the operator thereby may adjust the length of the extension section 42 to any of a plurality of fixed extended lengths.

The lower end of the stationary tube 43 defines a flared truncated flange 55, the outer edge of which slidably abuts the interior surface of the extendable tube 44 to form a substantially material-tight seal between the flange 55 and the interior surface of the extendable tube 44 to prevent vacuumed debris from passing into the space between the exterior surface of the stationary tube 43 and the interior surface of the extendable tube 44. If the extendable tube 44 is lowered to a fully extended position (in which the holes 53 of the slide guides 52 are below the bottom adjusment hole 50 of the slide bar 49), its inwardly extending flange 51 will encounter the flared flange 55. The extendable tube 44 thereby will be prevented from slipping off of the stationary tube 43.

The debris collector suction pipe 1 also has utility to extend the debris collecting range of the nozzle 2 when the debris collector 3 is used to vacuum-clean streets and roads. When the debris collector 3 is used to vacuum large piles of leaves and the like, the requirement which previously existed that the operator constantly reposition the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2 over portions of the pile is obviated. In the modified form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 8, the suction pipe 1 is adapted to such use by attaching the rotation section 7 to the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2, and attaching the angulation section 8 to the rotation section 7 in the manner heretofore described.

In the modified form illustrated in FIGURE 8, the joint filler 39 is removably mounted on the upper end of the jointed portion 33 of the angulation section 8. The removable mounting permits a variety of sizes of joint fillers 39 to be selectively mounted on the jointed portion 33 to obtain a variety of angulation angles. For example, in the leaf-pile vacuuming configuration illustrated in FIGURE 8, an angulation angle of approximately fifteen degrees is obtained, which extends the diameter of the vacuumable circular area of the suction end 41 beyond that vacuumable when the angulation angle is the eight degrees employed for catch basin cleaning. As shown, the upper end of the jointed portion 33 defines an outwardly extending flange 56, and the lower base of the joint filler 39 also defines an outwardly extending flange 57. The two flanges 56 and 57 are held in close abutting relationship with each other by a mounting collar 58, which is substantially similar in design, construction and function to the swivel collar 14 except that an over-center clamp 59, rather than the bolt 18 and nut 19 of the swivel collar 14, is employed to draw the two sections 60 and 61 of the mounting collar 58 into tight surrounding relationship with the flanges 56 and 57. Such a mounting collar 58 also may be employed in lieu of the pin and cotter pin mounting means heretofore described, for attaching the several sections 7, 8 and 42 of the suction pipe 1 to each other.

It has been found that, whereas the serrated suction end 41 shown in FIGURES l, 2, 4 and 5 has particular advantages when the suction pipe 1 is used for cleaning a catch basin 29, a plain, unserrated suction end 41 provides more eflicient vacuuming when the suction pipe 1 is used to vacuum street-level piles of light materials, such as leaves. Accordingly, in the modified form of the invention shown in FIGURE 8, the suction end 41 does not include any serrations. Rather, the lower end of the jointed portion 33 defines an outwardly extending flange 62. In order to permit a serrated suction end 41 to be attached to the lower end of the jointed portion 33, the upper end of the serrated suction end 41 also defines an outwardly extending flange 63 which (in the embodiments in FIG- URES 1, 2, 4 and 5) is removably held in tight abutting relationship with the flange 62 by a mounting collar 58 (not shown).

Operation of apparatus The following is a brief summary of the use and operation of the debris collector suction pipe 1 to clean a catch basin 29.

After the truck 4 has been driven to the catch basin 29 and the nozzle 2 has been mounted on the tank 5 of the vacuum-type debris collector 3, if the debris collector suction pipe 1 has not already been assembled and attached to the nozzle 2, the operator inserts the upper end of the attachment portion 9 of the rotation section 7 in the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2 and secures the lower end 6 therearound by means of the split-ring and the bolt assembly 10. If the flange 11 of the attachment portion 9 has not theretofore been placed in abutting relationship with flange 12 of the rotatable portion 13, the operator places the two flanges 11 and 12 in abutting relationship with each other. He then places the open swivel collar 14 around the flanges 11 and 12, closes the swivel collar 14 around the flanges 11 and 12, bolts the two sections 15 and 16 to each other by means of bolt 18, and threads nut 19 home on bolt 18, thereby drawing the two sections 15 and 16 together and into loose surrounding relationship with flanges 11 and 12. The operator (if the control handle 20 is not already mounted around the rotatable portion 13) inserts the lower end of the rotatable portion 13 in the space between the two open semi-circular bases 23 and 24 and moves the cam latch 26 to its closed position, thereby drawing the two bases 23 and 24 toward each other and into tight surrounding relationship with the exterior surface of the rotatable portion 13.

Assuming that the depth of the catch basin to be cleaned is substantially in excess of the overall length of the angulation section 8, making it advisable to employ the extension section 42, the operator then inserts the pins 46 mounted on the flange 45 of the upper end of the stationary tube 43 through the holes 31 of the flange 30 of the lower end of the rotation section 7 and inserts cotter pins 36 through the pins 46, thereby attaching the stationary tube 43 to the rotation section 7. The operator then similarly inserts the pins 35 of the flange 34 of the angulation section 8 through the holes 48 in the flange 47 of the lower end of the extendable tube 44 of the extension section 42 and inserts cotter pins 36 through the pins 35, thereby attaching the angulation section 8 to the extension section 42.

After the suction pipe 1 has been assembled and connected to the nozzle 2, the operator grasps the control handle 20 and guides the suction end 41 of the angulation section 8 into the opening of the catch basin 29 and lowers the debris collector suction pipe 1 into the catch basin 29 until the cam latch 38 is slightly above the plane of the level of the street. The operator then moves the cam latch 38 to its open position, as shown in FIGURES 1, 4, and 5, thereby angling the angulation section 8 about the hinge 37 in the vertical plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the hinge 37 and extends through the center lines of the fixed portion 32 and the jointed portion 33, thereby disposing the suction end 41 generally below the hinge 37. The joint filler 39 is caused to be partially withdrawn from the interior of the fixed portion 32 until the wall portion 40b of the joint filler 39 abuts the interior of the fixed portion 32. The operator then withdraws the pin 54 from the adjustment hole 50 in the slide bar 49 and from the holes 53 in the slide guides 52 and lowers the extendable tube 44 until the suction end 41 of the angulation section 8 is adjacent the bottom of the catch basin and the holes 53 of the slide guides 52 are opposite an adjustment hole 50 in the slide bar 49. By inserting the pin 54 through the holes 53 and the adjustment hole 50 in the slide bar 49, the extended relationship between the extendable tube 44 and the stationary tube 43 is fixed by the operator.

The operator then may activate the means of drawing and maintaining the vacuum in the tank 5 and, by rotating the control handle 20, rotate the rotatable portion 13 of the rotation section 7, the extension section 42, the angulation section 8 and the suction end 41 around the center line of the attachment portion 9 and (by from time to time referring to the slide bar 49 as guide means) direct the suction end 41 to the outside edges of the bottom of the catch basin 29 to vacuum debris therefrom. After such debris has been collected, the operator may cause the debris collector suction pipe 1 to be withdrawn from the catch basin 29 until the cam latch 38 again is slightly above the plane of the level of the street, close the cam latch 38 (and thereby cause the angulation section 8 to assume the straight, tubular, nonangled configuration shown in FIGURES 2 and 3) and lower the suction end 41 to the center of the catch basin 29 to vacuum debris therefrom.

After the catch basin cleaning operation has been completed, the debris collector suction pipe 1 may be withdrawn from the catch basin 29 and disassembled in reverse order of the assembly thereof.

When the suction pipe 1 is to be used for vacuuming a street-level pile of debris, the rotation sect-ion 7 is attached to the lower end 6 of the nozzle 2 in the manner heretofore described. The angulation section 8 is attached to the lower end of the rotation section 7 by inserting the pins 35 of the flange 34 of the angulation section 8 through the holes 31 in the flange 30 in the lower end of the rotatable portion 13 and by inserting cotter pins 36 through the pins 35. The operator then selects the size of joint filler 39 required to provide a suitable circular vacuuming area, places the lower base flange 57 thereof in abutting relationship with the flange 56 on the upper end of the jointed portion 33, and closes the mounting collar 58 therearound, thereby clamping the flanges 56 and 57 to each other. If the pile to be vacuumed is comprised of relatively heavy materials, warranting the use of the serrated suction end 41, the operator similarly clamps the flange 63 of the suction end 41 to the flange 62 on the lower end of the jointed portion 33 by means of a mounting collar 58.

The operator then may activate the means of drawing and maintaining the vacuum in the tank and, by rotating the control handle 20, rotate the rotatable portion 13 of the rotation section 7, the angulation section 8 and the suction end 41 around the center line of the attachment portion 9 and vacuum the pile of debris.

I claim:

1. A suction pipe for attachment to the nozzle of a vehicle-mounted debris collector and insertion in a catch basin having a relatively narrow street-level opening and a relatively wide interior and having walls, to vacuum debris therefrom, comprising a fixed portion,

a jointed portion having a suction end,

a substantially airtight joint between the fixed portion and the jointed portion, including angling means comprising pivot means pivotally connecting the jointed portion to the fixed portion and cam latch means for adjustably angling the suction pipe in a vertical plane from a generally tubular configuration to an angled configuration to direct the suction endto a position adjacent the walls of the catch basin, with at least one of said means comprising guide means mounted on the exterior of the suction pipe, and seal means for effecting a substantially airtight seal between the fixed portion and the jointed portion in both the tubular and the angled configurations of the suction pipe, and rotation means for rotatably attaching the upper portion to the nozzle and for controllably rotating the suction pipe about the centerline of the nozzle to controllably direct, by referring to the guide means, the suction end to debris adjacent the entire periphery of the catch basin walls.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the angling means are disposed in close proximity to the exterior surface of the suction pipe in both the tubular and angled configurations of the suction pipe.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the fixed portion and the jointed portion each are rigid members.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the rotation means define a rotation section comprising an attachment portion and a rotatable portion, with the rotatable portion rotatably attached to the attachment portion and rigidly atached to the fixed portion and having a rotation control handle mounted thereon for controllably rotating and directing the suction end, to debris adjacent the entire periphery of the catch basin walls.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the attachment portion of the rotation section has a lower end defining an outwardly extending attachment portion flange and the rotatable portion of the rotation section has an upper end defining an outwardly extending rotatable portion flange in slidably abutting relationship with the attachment portion flange, and the rotation means include a swivel collar comprising channel members each having a generally U-shaped cross-section, an arcuate shape, a pivot end and an open end,

a pivot pivotally connecting the pivot ends of the channel members, and

means for drawing the open ends of the channel members together and into loose surrounding relationship with the slidably abutting attachment portion flange and rotatable portion flange.

6. In a suction pipe for attachment to the nozzle of a vehicle-mounted vacuum debris collector and insertion in a catch basin having a relatively narrow street-level opening and a relatively wide interior and having walls, to vacuum debris therefrom,

a. rotation section adapted for rotatably attaching the suction pipe to the nozzle, whereby the suction pipe may be controllably rotated about the center line of the nozzle,

an angulation section having an upper end and a suction end and a substantially airtight joint intermediate the upper end and the suction end, with the joint including angling means for adjustably angling the angulation section in a vertical plane from a generally tubular configuration to an angled configuration in which the suction end is adjacent the walls of the catch basin, and

an extension section comprising a stationary tube,

an extendable tube slidably mounted on the stationary tube in substantially airtight communication therewith,

attachment means for attaching one of the tubes to the rotation section and the other of the tubes to the upper end of the angulation section whereby the rotation section, when attached to the extension section, is above the extension section and the extension section, when attached to the angulation section, is above the angulation section, and

means on the extension section for adjustably extending the extendable tube to a plurality of preselected fixed extended positions with relation to the stationary tube and for preventing the rotation of either of the tubes relative to the other, whereby the extension section may be adjustably lengthened and the angulation section thereby adjustably lowered to a position in which the suction end is adjacent the bottom of the catch basin and may be rotated adjacent the bottom of the catch basin to vacuum debris therefrom.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the means on the extension section are guide means mounted on the exterior of one of the tubes, to which reference may be made during rotation of the suction pipe to controllably direct the suction end to debris adjacent the entire periphery of the catch basin bottom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1897 Weber 3O2-58 X 3/1930 OHanlon 239-588 OTHER REFERENCES ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 15340, 414 

